Eye on Extremism
January 28, 2020
The
Wall Street Journal: NATO Aims To Add Personnel To Iraq Mission From
Coalition Fighting ISIS
“NATO’s members are aiming to boost the number of training and
military advisory personnel at the alliance’s mission in Iraq, in
response to President Trump’s call for them to do more in the Middle
East, officials said. Under a proposal that has won broad support
among its members, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization would
reassign trainers to its mission from the U.S.-led global coalition
against Islamic State, which is currently outside NATO structures. The
proposal could be approved by NATO defense ministers when they hold a
scheduled meeting next month, diplomats said. Mr. Trump’s request
earlier this month in a telephone call with NATO Secretary-General
Jens Stoltenberg caught U.S. and other officials at the alliance by
surprise, officials say. The new proposal would allow the alliance to
respond quickly to the appeal from its most important member without
opening a politically fraught debate over committing more troops to
the region. “It wouldn’t change much on the ground,” said a European
diplomat at NATO, who described the idea as “streamlining and
rebranding.”
The
New York Times: Taliban Says Has Brought Down U.S. Military Plane In
Afghanistan
“The Taliban said it had shot down a U.S. military plane in the
central Afghan province of Ghazni on Monday, killing all personnel on
board. “The plane, which was on an intelligence mission, was brought
down in Sado Khel area of Deh Yak district of Ghazni province,”
Zabihullah Mujahid, a spokesman for the Taliban, said in a statement,
adding that everyone on board, including high ranking officers, had
been killed. A senior defense official investigating the crash said no
senior U.S. official was killed and added that they were still
investigating the cause of the crash. No one from the U.S. military
was immediately available for comment.”
Deutsche
Welle: New Figures On Extremism In German Military 'Tip Of The
Iceberg'
“Germany's top military intelligence agency is currently
investigating over 500 cases of suspected right-wing extremism within
the country's armed forces, the Bundeswehr. That number marks an
uptick of 30% from the previous year, according to the agency's
director. Those figures are likely just the “tip of the iceberg,”
Caroline Walter, co-author of “Extreme Security” (Extreme Sicherheit),
a book on right-wing extremism within Germany's military and its law
enforcement agencies, told DW. “The problem in the Bundeswehr is that
whoever points out right-wing extremism is still a backstabber who's
violating the spirit of the brigade,” she said. A number of cases over
the past five years have revealed German authorities' blind spots to
extremism. The most prominent case involved a German soldier known as
Franco A., who in 2017 reportedly posed as a Syrian refugee in order
to infiltrate immigrant communities and carry out a terror attack.
Years later, as Franco A. stands trial, German government figures
continue to indicate the prevalence of extremism within the military,
law enforcement agencies and society at large.”
United States
Reuters:
Islamic State Urges Attacks Against Jews In Effort To Thwart Trump
Plan: Recording
“The Islamic State militant group urged its fighters and other
Muslims to attack Jews in a purported audio recording released on
Monday in an attempt to thwart U.S. President Donald Trump’s
Israeli-Palestinian peace plan. The message was said to feature the
voice of IS spokesman Abu Hamzah al-Quraishi but Reuters could not
verify the speaker’s identity. Islamic State has not been a player in
the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. But the comments appeared to be an
attempt by the group to stay relevant and resonate with Muslims by
sounding concerned about the issue, said H.A. Hellyer of the Carnegie
Endowment for International Peace. “We are urging you to join the
Caliphate (Islamic State) soldiers who are seeking to remove borders
and dams that prevent them from fighting Jews,” Quraishi said. He
especially called on IS fighters in its Sinai branch in Egypt as well
those in Syria to mount cross-border raids to attack Israeli targets.
“Be the spearhead in fighting Jews and making their plots fail like
their ‘Deal of the Century’,” he said. Trump is due to meet Israeli
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and opposition leader Benny Gantz in
Washington on Monday to present his peace plan, which Palestinians
fear will dash their hopes for an independent state.”
Iran
The
New York Times: IS Tries To Stage Comeback Amid Rising US-Iran
Tensions
“The Islamic State group's self-styled “caliphate” across parts of
Iraq and Syria seemed largely defeated last year, with the loss of its
territory, the killing of its founder in a U.S. raid and an
unprecedented crackdown on its social media propaganda machine. But
tensions between the United States and Iran and the resulting clash
over the U.S. military presence in the region provide a comeback
opportunity for the extremist group, whose remnants have been
gradually building up a guerrilla campaign over the past year, experts
say. American troops in Iraq had to pause their operations against IS
for nearly two weeks amid the tensions. From the other side,
Iranian-backed Iraqi militiamen who once focused on fighting the
militants have turned their attention to evicting U.S. troops from the
Middle East. In the meantime, Islamic State group sleeper cells
intensified ambushes in Iraq and Syria in the past few weeks, killing
and wounding dozens of their opponents in both countries. Activists
and residents say the attacks have intensified since the U.S. killed
top Iranian general Qassem Soleimani in a Jan. 3 drone strike at
Baghdad's airport. It is not clear whether the uptick is related to
the repercussions that followed from the strike, and it is possible
some of the attacks had been planned before Soleimani's killing. U.S.
officials deny seeing any particular increase in IS activities.”
Iraq
Asharq
Al-Awsat: Violence Escalates In Iraq As Government Pushes To End
Protests
“Gunmen shot dead two protesters in Iraq’s southern city of
Nassiriya overnight and a Baghdad district became a battlefield on the
third day of a drive by security forces to end months of
demonstrations against the largely Iran-backed ruling elite. Clashes
over the weekend had already killed at least five protesters. Rockets
also hit the US embassy compound in Baghdad’s fortified Green Zone
housing government buildings. Ambassadors of 16 countries in Baghdad
including the US, France and Britain condemned the use of live fire by
Iraqi security forces and called for a credible investigation into the
deaths of more than 500 protesters since October. Security sources
said three people were wounded when at least one rocket landed in the
US embassy compound, the first time in years that an attack on the
Green Zone - a regular occurrence - had actually hurt staff there. The
Iraqi military said five Katyusha rockets had hit the Green Zone late
on Sunday, without reporting casualties. The US embassy was not
immediately available for comment. Authorities began the pushback on
Saturday to try to end protests that began in the capital on Oct. 1
and in other southern cities. Demonstrators are demanding the removal
of all politicians, free elections and an end to
corruption.”
Afghanistan
The
New York Times: Taliban Assault On Afghan Police Base Kills
11
“Taliban militants attacked a police base in northern Afghanistan,
killing 11, possibly with help from at least one of the policemen
inside, local government officials said Tuesday. The insurgents first
overran a checkpoint near the base late Monday, and were apparently
able to breach the compound with ease because a sympathetic policeman
opened a door for them. These details were provided by Mabobullah
Ghafari, a provincial councilman in Baghlan province where the attack
took place. A local police official, speaking on condition of
anonymity because he was not allowed to brief reporters about the
attack, also gave the same account. Insider attacks have been steady
throughout Afghanistan's 18-year conflict, with U.S. and NATO troops
most often targeted. But when Afghan security forces are targeted, the
casualty rate is often much higher. Last July, two U.S. service
members were killed by an Afghan soldier in the southern Kandahar
province. The shooter was wounded and arrested. In September, three
U.S. military personnel were wounded when an member of the Afghan
Civil Order Police fired on a military convoy, also in Kandahar. No
group immediately claimed responsibility for Monday's attack on the
outskirts of Puli Khumri, Baghlan's provincial capital.”
Reuters:
Taliban Repel Afghan Forces' Bid To Reach U.S. Plane Crash
Site
“Afghan forces and Taliban fighters clashed in a central region
where a U.S. military aircraft crashed, officials said on Tuesday, as
the government tried to reach the wreckage site in a Taliban
stronghold. On Monday, the U.S. military said an E-11A aircraft
crashed in the province of Ghazni, but disputed Taliban claims to have
brought it down, without saying how many were aboard or if any had
been killed. Security forces were sent to the site immediately after
receiving a report of the crash in the Deh Yak district, but were
ambushed by Taliban fighters, Ghazni provincial police chief Khalid
Wardak told Reuters. “As per our information, there are four bodies
and two onboard were alive and they are missing,” Wardak said, adding
that the forces subsequently received an order to retreat and airborne
action is to be taken instead. Zabiullah Mujahid, a Taliban spokesman,
said Afghan forces backed by U.S. military support had tried to
capture the area around the crashed aircraft and clashed with fighters
of the Islamist militant group. The attempt was repelled, however, he
told Reuters, but added that the Taliban would allow a rescue team
access to recover bodies from the crash site. “Taliban fighters on the
ground counted six bodies at the site of the U.S. airplane crash,” he
said, adding that while there could have been more, the militant group
could not be certain, as fire had reduced everything to ashes.”
Pakistan
Vice:
From Terrorism To Tourism: How Pakistan Is Trying To Attract
Visitors
“Pakistan is considered by many to be one of the world’s most
dangerous places. Thirteen years ago, Newsweek controversially
declared it the most dangerous nation in the world, while the United
States Bureau of Consular Affairs still begins their webpage on
Pakistan with the following: “reconsider travel to Pakistan due to
terrorism.” And yet, this month, the Condé Nast Traveller named
Pakistan the Best Travel Destination for 2020. Objectively speaking,
Pakistan is quite scenic. It has hilly mountainous regions, soaring
cliffsides, and white-sand beaches. The country is part of the
Himalayas, and subsequently has some of the tallest peaks in the
world, while its cities are filled with old Hindu temples, mosques,
and bazaars. But political conflict taints this image. In the late 00s
and early 2010s tribal militias and terrorist organisations like the
Taliban and al-Qaeda found a footing in Pakistan, as disdain for the
central government and American influence grew. With a government that
was unable to provide basic services for its people, especially in
rural areas, these organisations garnered support by filling the
social and economic vacuums that the government left open. They preyed
on the frustrations of many young men who, unable to find work, were
angry with the country’s growing inequality.”
Middle East
The
New York Times: IS Vows To Attack Israel And Blasts US Mideast
Plan
“The Islamic State group vowed in an audio message released Monday
that the extremists will start a new phase of attacks that will focus
on Israel and blasted the U.S. administration's plan to resolve the
decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Despite carrying out deadly
attacks throughout the world over the past years, IS has rarely
targeted Israel. The audio appears to try to win the extremist group
popularity in the region at a time when President Donald Trump's “Deal
of the Century” is expected to be announced in the U.S. soon. The
Palestinians have not been consulted on the much-trumpeted deal and
have pre-emptively rejected the U.S. proposal. Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu arrived in Washington Sunday night vowing to “make
history” at a planned meeting with Trump for the unveiling of the
deal. IS spokesman Abu Hamza al-Qurayshi urged in the 37-minute audio
members of the extremist group to carry out attacks against Israel.
The message was released by the group's al-Furqan media. The rallying
message comes at a time when IS has suffered major defeats over the
past year including the death of its leader and founder, Abu Bakr
al-Baghdadi, in a U.S. attack in northwestern Syria.”
Egypt
Reuters:
Egypt Sentences 37 To Jail For Joining Islamic State: Judicial
Sources
“An Egyptian court sentenced 37 people on Monday to jail terms
including life imprisonment for joining or supporting Islamic State’s
Sinai Province affiliate, judicial sources said. Militants loyal to
Islamic State have been waging an insurgency in the north of the Sinai
Peninsula and other parts of the country that has killed hundreds of
soldiers, police and residents. A Cairo criminal court sentenced eight
defendants to life terms and 29 to terms ranging from one to 15 years,
after prosecutors accused them of planning attacks, promoting the
group’s ideology in prisons and financing its cells, the judicial
sources said. Seven were acquitted. The defendants, all of whom
pleaded not guilty, can appeal against the sentence at the court of
cassation, Egypt’s top civilian court. Separately, another Cairo
criminal court referred the cases of three men accused over a 2018
failed assassination attempt against Alexandria’s security chief to
Egypt’s top religious authority, paving the way for possible death
sentences, judicial sources said. Prosecutors said the defendants were
part of a militant group called Hasm, which the government describes
as an armed wing of the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood. The group denies
any link with any militant activity.”
Libya
Eurasia
Review: Libyan Officers Trained On Tackling Online Activities Of
Terrorist Targets
“With abuse of the Internet and social media channels by terrorist
organizations a growing concern for police, INTERPOL said it has
conducted a training course for Libyan law enforcement officers on how
best to exploit the Internet and specific social media sites in
counter-terrorism investigations. Held in Tunisia from January 20 to
24, the course was attended by 20 law enforcement professionals from
the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and General Investigation
Department (GID) in Tripoli, Libya. Terrorists use the Internet and
social media channels for radicalization, recruitment, funding,
planning and execution of terror activities, making it vital for law
enforcement to collect, analyse and share data gathered from online
sources, INTERPOL noted. The course provided participants with
recommendations on how to employ intelligence techniques to leverage
online resources in compliance with human rights, the Libyan data
protection mechanism, and international privacy and data protection
standards.”
Nigeria
France
24: Terror As Jihadists Target Key Northeast Nigeria
Road
“The bus driver sensed straight away that he and his six passengers
were in trouble when the gunmen, dressed in Nigerian army uniforms,
stopped their vehicle at a checkpoint. They were on the main road
connecting the city of Maiduguri in volatile northeast Nigeria with
the rest of the country. For weeks there had been reports of jihadists
disguised as soldiers abducting travellers. Now his own luck had run
out. “They took us at gunpoint into the bush,” the driver told AFP,
asking that his name not be used for his own safety. “I spent four
days in detention. I have never in my life felt the fear and trauma
that I passed through in those four days.” The kidnapping around two
weeks ago was part of a wave of identical attacks targeting the key
Damaturu road -- the main lifeline linking Maiduguri and its roughly
two million people to the outside world. Since early December
jihadists disguised as soldiers have been setting up checkpoints to
snare and abduct unsuspecting passengers. They appear to focus on
Christians, aid workers and military personnel. Some of those seized
were executed on the spot. Others were taken as captives. In late
December the jihadists released a gruesome video showing them shooting
and slitting the throats of 11 abducted Christians.”
All
Africa: Nigeria: 'Military Committed To Ending
Terrorism'
“The Coalition against Terrorism and Extremism (CATE) has applauded
Nigeria's military and Service Chiefs for displaying unwavering
commitment to end insurgency. The coalition made this known at a press
conference on Monday on “the war against terrorism and the laudable
efforts of the Nigerian military in the preservation of the
territorial integrity against Boko Haram and other militant groups”.
In a statement signed by National Coordinator, Gabriel Onoja, CATE
commended President Muhammadu Buhari under whose leadership the
military recorded tremendous gains in the fight against terrorism. The
troops' doggedness and high fighting spirit, committed with the
onerous task of keeping Nigeria safe and secured within the ambit
particularly impressed the group. CATE, therefore, said it is “proud
of the great exploits of the Nigerian troops for the numerous
sacrifices they have made in the pursuant of peace all over the
country”. The coalition further hailed the Service Chiefs for the
provision of sound strategic and policy direction for implementation
in the war against terrorism. CATE, thus, expressed “unalloyed
confidence in the President Buhari, the Service Chiefs, as well as the
officers and soldiers of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of
Nigeria.”
Africa
The
Washington Post: Czech Republic To Send Troops To Africa Anti-Terror
Mission
“The Czech government on Monday approved a Defense Ministry plan to
deploy up to 60 troops as part of France’s anti-terror mission in
Africa. The service members will join Operation Barkhane, France’s
largest overseas military mission. It has been working to root out
Islamic militants roaming the Sahel region. The government said Mali,
Niger and Chad approved the Czech deployment. The Czechs will help
local troops fight Islamic militants. The plan to deploy Czech forces
in the mission until the end of 2022 still needs parliamentary
approval. The Czechs already have some 120 troops in Mali as a part of
an European Union training mission.”
Reuters:
France Warns U.S. Against Pulling Troops From Fight Against Islamists
In Africa's Sahel
“France delivered a stern warning on Monday against possible U.S.
troop cuts in West Africa, where groups linked to al Qaeda and Islamic
State are expanding their foothold. The Pentagon is considering
withdrawing the personnel as part of a global troop review meant to
free up more resources to address challenges from China’s military,
after nearly two decades of prioritizing counter-terrorism operations
around the world. French Defense Minister Florence Parly said she
warned her U.S. counterpart during a visit to the Pentagon that joint
counterterrorism efforts in West Africa would be harmed by cuts to
U.S. military assistance. “I had the opportunity to (say) again, to
mention again, that the U.S. support is critical to our operations and
its reduction would severely limit our effectiveness against
terrorists,” Parly said at a joint news conference, standing alongside
U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper. Esper, who is spearheading the
review, said no decisions had been made. But he did not suggest any
reconsideration of potential cuts to U.S. forces in the region. The
possibility of cuts has alarmed France, which relies on U.S.
intelligence and logistics for its 4,500-strong mission in the
Sahel.”
Deutsche
Welle: UN: Sahel Conflict Having Devastating Impact On Children,
Hundreds Killed
“Hundreds of children in the Sahel were killed, wounded or forcibly
separated from their parents in 2019, a UNICEF report revealed
Tuesday. Conflict continues to be rife in the semiarid region of
western and north-central Africa and the agency, which focuses on
child-related issues, confirmed 277 children were killed or maimed in
Mali during the first nine months of last year. The West African
nation has been tackling an Islamist insurgency that began in the
north of the country eight years ago and has resulted in thousands of
deaths. The conflict has since spread to neighboring Burkina Faso and
Niger, inflaming ethnic tensions in the Sahel in the process. The
entire region has witnessed a “significant increase of violence
against children who are caught in the crossfire,” the report stated,
adding that hundreds of youngsters had been forcibly separated from
their families. The warfare also forced more than a million people to
flee their homes, of whom more than half are children — twice as many
as in the previous year. Furthermore, just shy of 5 million children
are currently in need of humanitarian aid in the region, as more than
700,000 suffer from acute malnutrition in Mali, Burkina Faso and
Niger, according to the report.”
United Kingdom
The
National: Buckingham Palace Sword Attacker Who Supports ISIS 'Planned
To Kill Non-Muslims After He Left Jail'
“An ISIS-supporting Uber driver who attacked police with a sword
outside Buckingham Palace in London threatened to kill non-Muslims
only months after he left jail, a court heard on Monday. Mohiussannath
Chowdhury, 28, attacked officers outside the palace in August 2017
while shouting “Allahu Akbar”, but was cleared of terrorism charges,
after jurors spent more than 11 hours considering the verdict. It
emerged on Monday that six months after he left jail, Chowdhury was
allegedly preparing to attack a Gay Pride parade and Madame Tussauds
in London after being freed from custody. A secret recording emerged
from June last year of Chowdhury telling his sister, Sneha Chowdhury,
that he was quitting his job at a chicken shop in Luton. “I’m doing
another attack, bruv,” he said. “I’m serious bro, it’s about time
now.” Chowdhury was arrested days later on suspicion for planning a
terrorist attack. Prosecutors said on Monday the defendant was
planning “to unleash death and suffering on non-Muslim members of the
public who happened to be present, using a firearm, sword and even a
van as part of an attack”. Woolwich Crown Court in the British capital
heard that Chowdhury told undercover police officers his intentions
and that non-Muslims were “fair game.”
Germany
BBC
News: German Police Probe Nazi-Style Beer Brand
“German police are investigating the sale of beer with a Nazi-style
label, seen as scandalous in Germany as the world remembers Holocaust
victims. Photos of the “German Reich Brewery” beer were posted on
Facebook by Götz Ulrich, a district chief in eastern Germany, who
expressed outrage. “I feel so ashamed,” he said, accusing neo-Nazis of
staging a provocation exactly 75 years after Soviet troops liberated
the Auschwitz death camp. Nazi symbols are banned in Germany. Their
use is illegal if there is a clear link to Nazi or other far-right
ideology. In some cultural contexts, however, their use is tolerated.
Commemorations are being held at the site of Auschwitz-Birkenau in
southern Poland, where Nazi Germany murdered about 1.1 million people
- nearly a million of them Jews. Mr Ulrich said the Deutsches
Reichsbräu beer was being sold on Friday in Bad Bibra, his home town,
and “the worst thing is that the beer has been flying off the shelves
and is sold out!” The label is brown - reminiscent of the Nazis' brown
uniforms - and the Nazi eagle symbol is reproduced, except that the
Iron Cross is shown inside a wreath, instead of a swastika. The Gothic
script lettering - harking back to German tradition - is also standard
for neo-Nazi propaganda.”
Europe
The
New York Times: Kosovo Woman Faces Terror Charges For Allegedly
Joining IS
“Kosovo prosecutors on Monday filed terrorism charges against a
local woman for allegedly joining the Islamic State group in Syria. A
statement from the prosecutors' office said the suspect, only
identified as A.A., left Kosovo in November 2015 with her husband and
their daughter. They allegedly went to Istanbul, Turkey, and then
crossed into Syria to join the Islamic State group. She was charged
with alleged organization and participation in a terror group. If
convicted, she faces up to 10 years in prison. The prosecutors' office
did not clarify where the suspect's husband and daughter were and how
she was repatriated. In April 2019 a group of 110 Kosovo citizens were
repatriated from Syria. About 30 ethnic Albanians from Kosovo are
still believed to be with terror groups in Syria and Iraq.”
Latin America
The
Guardian: 'The Playbook Is The American Alt-Right': Bolsonaristas
Follow Familiar Extremist Tactics
“When Jair Bolsonaro’s culture secretary published an official
video paraphrasing Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels, it wasn’t
just Brazilians who were stunned. The video, in which Roberto Alvim
called for a “rebirth of art and culture in Brazil” while Adolf
Hitler’s favourite Wagner opera played in the background, sent
shockwaves around the world. Alvim was sacked within hours, as
Brazilians asked: was this an aberration, a one-off, or even a
communist trick? And what did it say about the far right president’s
communications masterplan? Analysts said the use of such extremist
tactics is typical of the brinksmanship, trolling and meme tactics
used by the US “alt-right” who are often referenced by powerful
members of Bolsonaro’s government. The term “alt-right” was
popularised by white supremacist Richard Spencer and has been linked
to Stephen Miller, a white nationalist and senior adviser to Donald
Trump – who has himself benefited from far-right support and at times
nodded to it. Pushing the limits and goading liberals are classic
alt-right tactics, said Rodrigo Nunes, a political philosophy
professor at Rio de Janeiro’s Pontifical Catholic University.”
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